I never read these as a kid, but I was recently talking to some people who said they were a mainstay of their growing up, like Little House or Anne of Green Gables.

I started here on the 8th book as it was in a give away pile in my laundry room. These books are really good, and I think I would have really liked them when younger, as much as I liked it now. The world of a teenager in 1910 is so interesting to see and Betsy's character is so full of life and determination to enjoy life to the fullest. I will definitely be getting the rest of these books.

Oh, Betsy. I truly am worried about you. I did not like at all your behavior throughout this book so I think a more appropriate title would be Betsy and Tony . Oh Betsy! What went through your silly little frivolous head that seems to have been going crazy these past four years of high school.

Well, there's not really much to say besides that I hate how Betsy couldn't say no to Tony. Poor Joe! Betsy is just too much of a sucker for her Crowd! I was on edge and my heart was in knots the entire time she was with Tony. And that completely overshadowed any happiness I felt at the beginning about Betsy and Joe being together for a while, happy and romantic for ONCE. And then Tony had to destroy everything and Betsy acted like it was no big deal, so Joe was left feeling betrayed. Although I was mad at Joe at first, looking back I see that (as usual) Betsy was to blame. For the third time, oh Betsy! So sweet, yet so silly and stupid (occasionally).

The part that I really loved about this book was the first pages of the book that talked about growing up.

Quote 1: "...one was growing up so fast that one needed time to think, to correlate all the perplexing changes and try to understand them."

I, myself, can definitely relate to this because I often find myself confused with all the different things happening in my life as I grow up, and I just wish that I could stop my life for a while and make sense of all thse "perplexing changes".

Quote 2: "Betsy had clung to every phase of childhood as it passed. She always wanted to keep life from going forward too fast."

This is me. Wholly and completely. Every little bit of childhood I am concious of, and of its passing. And, unlike most people, I don't ever want to grow up. Because I see already what I will miss, what I already am missing, about happy, blissful, naive times that I would trade everything I have now for. I am so scared of life moving forward too fast. Time is my worst enemy, which is why I sympathize with Betsy when she says things like this.

Quote 3: " 'You grow older in spite of yourself,' Betsy thought resentfully..."

In spite of yourself. Oh were words ever so true. I resent time and life when, in spite of what I want and need, I grow older. And I hate that. I just don't understand why life has to bring so much that ytou don't want.

What's amazing to me is that, even back in a time when growing up didn't bring as many ocnsequences as our modern world, people still dealt with these problems and feelings, which at least makes me feel better knowing that it's not just being in the modern world that makes growing up harder. It always has been for people.

Overall, this book was bittersweet. It was wonderful when Betsy and Joe got together, terrible when for much of the book she was with Tony breaking Joe's heart, and wonderful when Betsy and Joe reunited at the end. Looking back halfway through the last book, I feel like this book was more of a transition for me in the series than anything. Writing this review now, I definitely don't remember much about this book and don't particularly care for it. Nevertheless, I loved this book because it was still, nevertheless, a Betsy-Tacy book. :)

The year is 1910. The place is Deep Valley, Minnesota. The person in question is the irrepressible, vivacious, creative, energetic Betsy Warrington Ray. In this book she is a senior in high school, her beloved older sister Julia is traveling in Europe, and her serious younger sister is soberly promising she will never be too old for dolls.

Betsy is enjoying the activities and chaos of her senior year of high school.

But she has problems.

Boy problems.

I was sorry Betsy was not more upfront with both Tony and Joe. She has no malicious intentions but she ends up treating both of them unfairly. She is also a little oblivious to the tremendously luxury in which she and her sisters are growing up, even though some of the people around her (like Joe) are not as fortunate.

At the end of the book she and Joe have a serious talk about the future. Joe asks Betsy what she intends to do:

"Well, I was always sure I was going to be an author. I'm still sure of it. But I ought to begin selling my stories. I've been sending them out for almost a year now, and I don't even get a letter back. Just a printed slip that says they thank me for thinking of them."

I am glad she remains sure, determined to find a way to open the closed doors in front of her.

Of course I loved this book. It's an excellent, compelling, historically interesting novel. I am hooked on Maud Hart Lovelace.

This is the one where Betsy and Joe start dating and Betsy FINALLY wins the essay contest against Joe. Joe doesn't care because he is infatuated and in love with Betsy.
As with previous readings, Tacy's story remains the highlight of this book. Tacy who has shown no interest in boys in the previous books meets Mr. Kerr, an older man (27 or 28) and acquaintance of Besty's dad. She is immediately smitten, as is Harry (Mr. Kerr). Theirs is a sweet story that reminds one of how beautiful courtship and love can be.

October 2023:

Just the warm and cozy book I needed this weekend. ❤️

January 2021:

I was off work today and spent most of my time reading this book. When I finished I was happy but teary-eyed. My little Betsy, who was 5 years old when I met her, was so grown up - a high school graduate with a serious boyfriend and ambitions for her future writing career. Her growth and gradual maturing over the course of the books is real and believable - funny, touching, at times painful to experience. All the characters in this series are so well-written and genuinely human that they feel like people I know and love in real life.

I'm starting to think I need to slow down my reading and not zip through the remaining two Betsy-Tacy books so quickly! I'm going to miss the Rays and their friends in Deep Valley, Minnesota too much when I'm finished.

So much love for this book and this whole series.

I read about Betsy's senior year when I was in high school myself and found myself embracing her optimism and nostalgia. It's always stayed with me and the book is as much fun even now when I'm teaching high school

Let’s just say this is the best Betsy book. The amount of anxiety I got when Joe went with Irma…
They’re so perfect! also ladies if a guy only makes good choices when he’s around you that’s not on you bestie. you don’t have to keep him around. Okay thanks for coming to my Ted talk.
Also let’s have a moment of appreciation for Anna.

Yes i just read it again in like a day. The ending gets me every time

In which Betsy and Joe Willard "go together" for the first time, and laugh, and play, and write, and submit stories to magazines, and exchange copies of "As You Like It," inscribed, "we'll fleet the time carelessly as they did in the golden world." And in which Betsy wins the Essay Contest, at long last, and against Joe, of course, but Joe's so busting with pride he doesn't even feel the sting of losing. And after Commencement Day, what? After Commencement Day, the world. With Betsy.

Senior year! Two boys Betsy actually cares about! Finally! Tacy has a romance! Julia lives with royalty! Joe and Betsy have a serious falling out which leads to a serious getting back together. Finally realizing what is important! At the last possible moment! She takes him to the Big Hill. It is sweet. What a lovely world to spend time in. Thank you for letting me be there, MHL. Now they are almost grownups! But not quite. 2 more books.

Childhood favorite, I re-read them every few years. Wonderful!

Beautiful love story between Betsy Ray and Joe Willard.